Anode



Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAURICE E. LOUTH, OF KOKOMO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO UDYLITE PROCESS COM- PANY, OF KOKOMO, INDIANA,

A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

ANODE.

Application filed May 21, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Mnumon E. LoU'rn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kokomo, in the county of Howard and- State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Anodes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to anodes for use in electroplating.

Among the objects of the invention are the provision of anode units of such size, shape and construction that they are well adapted to economical quantity productron and capable ofbeing quickly and easily mounted upon and removed from a conductive supporting structure, making good electrical connection therewith. A further object of the invention is the provision of anode units so, shaped that they lend themselves to ready and even solution in the electrolytic bath. A further object of the invention is the provision of anode units so constructed that the worn parts thereof will not become detached from the support and fall into the bath. Another object of the invention is the provision of an anode comprising a conductive inactive supporting structure carrying a plurality of soluble or active anode units so constructed that the relation between the active and inactive surface thereof exposed to the bath may be determined and varied or maintained.

Other objects and advantages of the in vention will appear in the following description of several specific embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is acentral cross sectional view of an anode unit; and

Figs. 2, 3 and 4tare perspective views of three different forms of combination anodes.

The invention has'been applied in the art of cadmium plating and will be described in connection therewith, it being understood however that the invention and the patent protection solicited are not limited to this art or to the, particular materials referred to hereinafter, excepting as may be required by the appended claims.

Referringto Fig. 1, the anode unit-A is in general disc-shaped or substantially hemispherical with the rounded side somewhat flattened but convex. The body 1 of Serial No. 714,908.

the unit, which consists for instance of cadmium metal, is formed around, for instance by casting, the spool-shaped end 2 of a stud B of conductive inactive material, for instance, steel, the other projecting end 3 of which is threaded. The spool-shaped end 2 of the stud or at least that portion thereof adjacent the screw threaded end 3 is larger than said screw-threaded portion, thus providing a face 4 which may be flat as illustrated or slightly convex and which lies even with the convex face of the body 1 of inactive material as illustrated, or if .desired may be made to lie slightly above the convex face of said body. The face 4 of the stud provides a bearing and contact surface with the anode supporting structure as will appear hereinafter. The spool-shaped end of the stud may be of any other suitable shape capable of being securely anchored in the body 1 of active material.

In Fig. 2 there is illustrated an anode structure comprising a "supporting rod 5 formed of conductive inactive material, for instance steel, adapted to extend into the electrolytic bath, a flat circular steel disc (3 carried on the end of the rod and four of the anode units A illustrated in Fig. 1 supported thereon.

Fig. 3 illustrates another form of anode structure comprising a straight strip 7 of inactive conductive material adapted to extend into the electrolytic bath and support the anode units A therein.

Fig. 4 illustrates still another form of anode structure, comprising a U-shaped member 8 of conductive inactive material having hooks 9 adapted to engage the electrical conductors or anode rods and to support the anode units A carried thereby in the bath.

Many shapes and sizes of supporting structures other than tho-set illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 apparently may be designed without departure from the invention.

The anode units A are mounted upon the supporting structure by inserting the threaded projecting ends 3 of the stud members B through openings provided in the supporting structure and applying nuts to the projecting ends of the studs (see Fig. 4). The supporting structure may be provided with any desired number of opei'iings for ltli On MA;

receiving a corresponding number of anode units and any desired ratio of the active surface of the units to the inactive surface of the supporting structure may be provided by applying the necessary number of anode units to a supporting structure. The ratio of active to inactive surface of an anode structure may be maintained by the replacement of units as they Wear out and the ratio ot'active to inactive surface may be varied by the addition or removal of anode units to or from the supporting structure. The supporting structure may of course he made of any suitable width of material and the openings for receiving the units suitably spaced in order to provide for a great variety of available ratios between active and inactive surface and a wide range of possible variation.

In the electroplating of cadmium the ratio of active to inactive surface of the anode plays a very important part in determining the nature of the electrodeposit and also in the maintenance of the bath. I have found that in each specific case a ratio of active to inactive surface may be determined, which gives best results. The ratio, however, varies widely in different :ases, depending upon the type of deposit desired, the composition of the bath, the dlstanec between the anode and cathode, the current density, etc., so ,that no specific ratio suitable in all cases or any general rule for determining the ratio to be used in a particular case can be stated. I have found, however, that the ratio of active to inactive surface ordinarily lies between the limits 1-3 to 3-1.

The invention is not limited to the precise form of anode unit illustrated, although this is a preferred form,the principal feature of which is that the face on the side from which the threaded projection 3 extends is rounded so as to be out of contact with the conductive supporting structure. The opposite side may be either flat, concave, or convex. Further features of the anode unit reside in the fact that the active material, (cadmium) is supported in such a way that it does not fall off of the support into the bath as the material dissolves. Still another feature is that the face 4ofthe spool-shaped end of the stud member which lies even With the rounded face of the body 1 of the unit contacts and makes a good electrical'connection withthe supporting structure to which the units are attached, and since the stud and the supportin structure are of the same or similar material, for instance steel, and inactive to the bath, corrosion at this point and local action do not occur.

I claim 1. An anode for use in electroplating, comprising a plurality of bodies of active -and projecting from said convexface material and a support of inactive conductive material includinga plurality of studs of inactive conductive material each having one end embedded in one of said bodies of active material.

2. An anode for use in electroplating, comprising a plurality of bodies of active material each havinga convex face and a support of inactive conductive material including a plurality of studs of inactive conductive materialeach having one end embedded in one of said bodies of active material and projecting from the convex face thereof.

3. An anode for use in electroplating, comprising a disc-shaped body of active material and a stud of inactive conductive material having one end embedded in said body of active material.

4. An anode for use in electro lating, comprising a disc-shaped body 0 active material having a convex face, and a stud of inactive conductive material having one end embedded in said body of active material and projecting from said convex face.

5. An anode for use in electroplating, comprising a disc-shaped body of active material having a convex face, a stud of inactive conductive material having one end embedded in said body of active material and projecting from said convex face, the portion of said stud embedded in said body of active material having sections of different transverse cross-sectional area.

6. An anode for use in electroplating, comprising a disc-shaped body of active material having a convex face, a stud of inactive conductive material having one end embedded in said body of active material and projecting from said convex face, the portion of said stud embedded in said body of active material being spool-shaped.

7. An anode for use in electroplating, comprising a disc-shaped body of active material having a convex face, a stud of inactive conductive material having one end embedded in said body of active material portion of said stud embedded in said body of active material being of greater crosssectional area than the projecting portion.

8. An anode for use in electroplating, comprising a body of active material having a convex face, a stud of inactive conductive material having one end embedded in said body and projecting from the convex face thereof, the embedded portion of said stud adjacent the projecting portion being of greater cross-sectional area than said projecting portion.

9. An anode for use in electroplating, comprising a supporting structure of inactive conductive material provided with a plurality of openings, and a plurality of units, each consisting of a body of active the material, and a stud of inactive conductive material partially embedded therein and projecting therefrom through said openings.

10. An anode for use in electroplating as defined in claim 9; in which the active material is cadmium and the inactive conductive material is steel and in which the ratio of the area of active material to inactive material lies between the limits 1-3 to 3-1.

11. An anode for use in electroplating comprising a supporting structure of inactive conductive material and a plurality of units, each consisting of a body of active material and in which the ratio of the area of active material to inactivematerial lies betWeen'the limits of 1-3 and 3-1.

ture, the ratio of the exposed area of active material to inactive material lying between the limits of 13 and 3-1.

13. An anode for use in electroplating cadmium consisting of an inactive conduct: ing portion and an active cadmium portion, the ratio of the area of the cadmium portion to the inactive material lying between the limits of 1-3 and 3 1.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature;

MAURICE EJLOUTH. 

